Keep hold of your holiday bag this summer - it's worth more than you think. That's the warning from RAC Insure who says people could be carrying more than £1,000 in handbags and rucksacks. Items such as digital cameras, iPods and mobile phones are now considered essential holiday companions, but mean that the days of leaving your bag on the beach are over. RAC Insure has calculated the average 'holiday' bag to be worth more than £1,169, including nine of the most-carried items. Top items that you could be carrying include: designer sunglasses priced at £85-£150, an ipod at £300, digital camera costing £100-£300, beach towel £20, mobile phone £100-£300, reading glasses £150-£400, books £20, suncream £10 and a make-up bag £100. Add this to the value of the bag itself, plus currency, credit cards and passport and the value increases to over £1,000. RAC Insure is offering all holiday-makers the following advice to help protect their personal property: * Expensive jewellery and designer handbags could be left at home. * When choosing your holiday bag, ensure it is one with a strap that goes across the body and that there are no openings where thieves can dip their hands. * Most hotels have safes, so use them to store valuables. * Divide cash and credit cards so if the worst happens, you do not lose all sources of currency. * Travel insurance is essential for covering lost or stolen possessions but check the single article limit as some things may cost more to replace and you will need to specify these under your home insurance policy. If your passport is stolen, you will need to immediately report the loss to the local police and go to the nearest consular office, British Embassy or High Commission. If these are all some distance away you will also have to phone or fax them. You will still have to visit the consular office to apply for and collect a replacement. Usually, after checking with the passport office in the UK, the consular office will issue a new, replacement passport. You will, however, need to fill out a lost/stolen declaration form (LS01) and submit reference details of a local police report. The replacement passport will be valid for all the same countries as the original passport, but may only be valid for one year or less. A fee will be charged for issuing the replacement. | 
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